The 13 best remedies for warts and papillomas

*Editor’s Choice of the Best. About the selection criteria. This material is subjective, not an advertisement and does not serve as a guide to purchase. Consultation with a specialist is necessary before buying.

In some languages, “wart” translates no more or less than “extra meat” or “extra skin”. Why do we need unnecessary growths on our bodies?? Certainly, it is necessary to get rid of them. It would be half the trouble if warts always behave steadily, but they are capable of growing. Growing warts are easily traumatized by clothing, underwear. Long-lasting sores occur, because they are raised above the skin surface. Secondary suppurative infection is not far away, as is streptoderma.

Usually all warts can stay on the skin for about 2 years, and then most of them disappear on their own. This is due to the activity of viruses that cause the formation of wart-like growths. But many ignorant people believe that various conspiracies, methods of folk medicine and the work of herbalists, herbalists and “witch doctors” have finally done their work. This is a deep misconception: The virus that causes warts has simply finished its life cycle and is gone from the human body. It is the human papillomavirus (HPV) that is to blame for the appearance of different types of warts, and not at all an attempt to hold toads and frogs.

Beware: cancer!

Human papillomaviruses are not only capable of causing warts, they also have oncogenicity, that is, the ability, in the end, so rearrange the human genome to form a malignant tumor.

Therefore, before you undertake the removal of your own warts, it is not superfluous to be checked in the laboratory and take PCR tests on various papillomaviruses with the definition of their degree of oncogenicity. Let’s talk a little more about this, especially – this is the cutting edge of the fight against papillomavirus, and at the end of the article we will offer a unique means of prevention.

About modern methods of diagnosing HPV

Many types of warts are known to be caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). It is a virus with the same hereditary material as in all warm-blooded and cold-blooded living creatures, in protozoa and bacteria. The genome of the virus also consists of DNA. It is the human papilloma virus that is “responsible” for various warts, condyloma acuminata, changes of anogenital area, and, in women – for the development of quite frequent cervical cancer.

Modern virology determines more than 100 different types of papillomavirus and 30 of them can live and infect the genitals, and 14 are directly linked to the development of cancer, and all of these cancers are localized to the genitals and anus, and only few other varieties are found in other locations. These include, for example, so-called oropharyngeal carcinoma. Since viruses, unlike bacteria, do not grow on nutrient media but require live cell cultures to reproduce, science has taken a different path.

Now it is not necessary to infect chicken embryos with viruses at all, like in the 70’s and 80’s. In the 21st century there are modern molecular genetic studies. They can be used to identify and “pick apart” human papillomaviruses belonging to different genotype variants, to determine 21 genotypes and the degree of risk of oncogenicity.

It is known that there are harmless papillomaviruses and there are oncogenic ones (but not with 100% probability). They have special proteins in their hereditary material, in their DNA, and the presence or absence of these proteins stimulates the transformation of cells into cancer:

1. If a patient is identified with genotype Nos. 1,2,3,5, he will not have any risk of developing malignant tumors;

2. If the patient’s material contains genotypes 6, 11, 42, 43, 44, – this means that there is a risk of malignancy, but it is still low;

3. But if you have one or more genotypes from this list, you are a carrier of human papillomavirus with a high risk of cancer: Nos. 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 66, 68, 73 and 82.

Paths of transmission and clinic

This virus is transmitted from person to person horizontally, mainly through unprotected sexual contact. There can also be household transmission, through shaking hands, and vertical transmission, such as from mother to child. It is not necessary that everyone must have a single genotype of the virus: several genotypes may live in the body at the same time, having entered it at different times.

Naturally, the main sexual route of transmission shows that people start to get infected with HPV from around 15-16 years old. If a person is “lucky” to catch oncogenic genotypes and the infection occurs between the ages of 25 and 35, then this age is considered the most unfavorable, and later, after a few years, cancer may develop. Many people think that it is much more likely to develop cancer if a person is infected early, that is, the life time of papillomaviruses in the human body will be much longer. But, alas, this is not the case in this case.

On the other hand everything is not so sad: if a person is infected with papillomavirus, there is a 70% chance that during the first year after the infection he will get rid of the virus by himself, it is eliminated from the body, and after two years of infection this rate of self-healing increases up to 90%.

The different routes of HPV infection, and the different viral genotypes, just provide a great variety of pathologies of different warts, variations in the epithelium, the risk of developing malignancies, and so on:

1. For example, when talking about plantar warts, genotypes 1, 2, 4, 63 should be considered;

2. Common, vulgar warts can also be caused by genotype 2 and 7 of the virus;

3. If a patient develops papillomas, or warts in the mouth and throat, the virus with genotype 6, 7, 11, 16, 32 is “to blame. By the way, warts and papillomas in the mouth are often one of the first signs of HIV infection. In patients with normal immunity, the oral cavity is free of papillomavirus;

4. Finally, various warts in the anogenital area are caused by viruses with genotypes 44, 42, 6, 11.

As you can see, there is no definite connection between any one genotype causing any one type of wart. The same genotype can cause morphologically different masses; there are cross-current variants between them.

It is advisable to remove papillomas after consulting a dermatologist and oncologist, even if they are caused by low-oncogenic or non-oncogenic genotypes. It should be known that the risk of malignant neoplasms due to papillomavirus infection is much higher in patients with any immunodeficiencies, such as due to taking immunosuppressants and cytostatics, corticosteroid hormones, as well as HIV infection.

Again, if a patient has normal immunity, this does not mean that the oncogenic type of HPV virus, once in the body, will necessarily, with one hundred percent probability, cause cancer. Not at all. Just such a patient, compared to other, normal people in the population living nearby, will have a higher risk of developing cancer of one or another location, sometimes several times over.

This means that infected people must be closely monitored by a medical team. In any case, if a person is found to have systematic changes in mucous membranes, skin, warts, condylomas, or any other dysplasia of the epithelium, there is now a proper solution: it is a laboratory examination, the exclusion of papillomavirus lesions, and if the virus is found, its genotype is required to determine the risk of cancer, and develop a treatment tactic.

Currently, PCR, or polymerase chain reaction, would be the main, sensitive, and specific method of investigation. It is able to detect hereditary material of papillomavirus and its separate, genotype-specific areas with more than 95% probability. However, taking a single PCR test is not enough.

After all, PCR can only prove that a patient has a virus with a high risk of oncogenicity. But whether or not the papilloma or wart has already degenerated into a malignant tumor, or it is about to do so – it is the task of histological and cytological study of the removed tissue.

If we are talking about the possibility of cervical cancer, it will be a smear for cytology from the cervix, or a suspicious area of the mucosa, where there are signs of dysplasia, metaplasia or malignancy of the epithelium.

What are warts like??

Before starting to diagnose the risk of oncogenicity, and the presence or absence of papillomavirus infection, it is a good idea to know what warts are like in general. Each type of wart has its own type of HPV virus, but condylomas and common vulgaris, or flat warts are caused by the same type of papillomavirus, with an incubation period of 2 to 5 months.

Vulgar, or flat

The most common, or vulgar, warts are elevated above the surface of the skin, ranging in size from a pea to a small pinhead. Most often they are located on the hands, and may be combined together into fairly large plaque-like growths. They feel dry, thick and painless. Their surface is uneven and villous, but keratinized. In rarer cases, vulgar warts may appear on the face, on the red border of the lips, or very rarely – on the mucous membranes of the mouth. Most often they do not appear in adults, but in children of school age.

There is also a special kind of common warts that appear on the soles of the feet. They occur in people who have a lot of sweaty feet, and are formed in places where there is a lot of pressure from the shoes on the foot. A developed plantar wart is very painful, has a very high density and hardness associated with excessive keratinization. As a rule, the color of the plantar warts – a dirty gray. They can block movement so much that doctors sometimes have to call in sick for these warts.

Juvenile

Young people have another form of papillomas – these are juvenile warts. They are less common, accounting for only 4-5% of all cases. Unlike vulgar warts, they have a smooth rather than villous surface, but they are also common in both children and young adults. The favorite localization – the back of the hand and foot, face, the mucous membranes of the mouth. This is the type of warts that causes HPV type 27, 15 and 14, and most often, they do not appear spontaneously, unlike vulgar warts, but in the course of various cuts or scratches.

Condylomas

The main difference between them and other types of warts, is that they are not located on the skin, but on the mucous membranes, mainly of the genital organs. Therefore, they are rather small, meat-colored pink growths, which can merge with each other to form a miniature fringe. In some cases, they may have a keratinized upper surface, but they may be on a thin stalk, and have the appearance of significant “cauliflower-like” overgrowths. You can get STDs through sexually transmitted diseases. They can also cause considerable damage, for example, if they grow in the urethra, preventing the normal outflow of urine.

Thread-shaped

Such warts can often be seen in older people: they are located on the neck, on the eyelids, quite often in the armpits, and in other secret places, such as in the groin. They are soft and mobile papillomas, which range in color from the usual flesh-colored to dark brown. They are usually located on a long stalk.

Why do you need to see a dermatologist??

Apart from the different types of warts, which are caused by the papillomavirus and should be treated, there are many other types of warts on the skin. These are various birthmarks, hemangiomas, nevi with varying risk of malignancy, which may well resemble warts.

Finally, the skin can develop malignant tumors proper, such as melanoma. It should be remembered that not every overgrowth, or volumetric formation on the skin will always be a wart, and always a benign. Sometimes such a growth does not grow quietly at all, as befits a wart. It starts to bleed, hurt, change color or consistency, or grow larger.

In this case, especially at a mature and elderly age, there is a high risk that the patient does not have a benign papilloma at all, but a real malignant neoplasm, such as squamous cell skin cancer, basalioma or even melanoma, which has a high degree of malignancy and low five-year survival rate.

Therefore, the decision on your own, without seeing a dermatologist or oncologist to remove such a formation that has become disturbing to a person, can lead to a significant deterioration in the course of the disease, and to the appearance of distant metastases.

Therefore, this list of modern drugs is given with an introductory purpose for those patients who actually have papillomas or warts. Treatment by a dermatologist, to determine the exact diagnosis, the type of HPV and the risk of oncogenicity of the papillomavirus is ideal.

Means for the elimination of warts and papillomas

Unlike herpesviruses, there is currently no major antiviral drug that affects the human papillomavirus exclusively and is taken internally. So there are no pills, shots or drops for warts, or any other problems caused by HPV. Remove warts solely by various local remedies. However, there is already a special vaccine created specifically against the human papillomavirus, which, among other things, can prevent cervical cancer. It will be mentioned in the conclusion.

Therefore, this list of different remedies will list a variety of remedies that will remove papillomas and warts chemically and thermally. You can also remove them with various physical methods, but these methods are used in the office of a dermatocosmetologist. First of all, it is a surgical treatment, with laser or high-energy radio waves, or cold freezing, or cryosurgery. However, preparations that freeze warts are also sold in pharmacies. Medicines to cauterize warts and keratolitic effects, which can soften the skin and facilitate the final removal of the warts, are also commonly used for the reduction of various papillomas.

In this list you will find not only the names of the products, but also the manufacturer and the retail price of the product, which is valid for all pharmacies in the Russian Federation from February 2021. Inclusion of a medicine, or exclusion from the list is not advertising or anti-advertising to the manufacturer or the medicine. These data are given for information purposes only and are derived solely from freely available, official instructions for medicines. All of these medicines are present in international and national recommendations, protocols of dermatologists for the removal of papillomas and warts. And open the list the most popular, mummifying, or cauterizing medicines for warts.

Review of the best remedies for warts and papillomas

Cauterizing (coagulating) agents

What’s the best way to cauterize a wart? Above all a strong oxidizing agent. This is an active acid that can rapidly cause superficial and local necrosis, or necrosis, with mummification (desiccation). All strong acids, like nitric, hydrochloric, sulfuric or acetic acid, (which is inferior to inorganic acids in strength, though) are capable of drying out tissue. They denature and destroy proteins, destroying their tertiary and secondary structure, and are themselves capable of limiting their area of action. Protein clotting and desiccation.

In some, but much rarer, cases alkaline preparations can also be used. But it has to be done with care and under the control of a doctor. After all, strong alkalis can turn fats into soap, and dissolve them. This is why lye does not have a drying effect, but rather spreads its dissolving effect over a long distance. The tissue necrosis in this case is not limited, but extends to the sides and deep into the tissue.

In certain rare cases, you can spot apply concentrated alkaline solutions to remove warts that have a very solid base and go deep into the tissue. Let’s list modern cauterizing medicines for the reduction of warts.

Mardil Zinc Max

Rating: 4.9

Although Mardil Zinc Max is registered as a drug for use in gynecology, it is prescribed for cauterization and mummification of skin warts. This medicine is a solution of zinc chlorpropionate in chlorpropionic acid. It is sold in an amount of 0.5 ml. When applied to the skin, the drug interrupts the growth and vitality of all cells and tissues on which it is applied. Mardil Zinc Max dehydrates and mummifies. The drug, when applied, discolors both the skin and mucous membranes, and they become pale gray. Then the tissue dries, mummifies, and changes its color to a dark brown. Then a scab forms, it detaches from the epithelium and falls off on its own after 2-3 weeks.

The drug is used to remove all types of warts, including vulgar, plantar and flat, by doctor’s prescription – to remove benign nevi with histological confirmation, as well as the elimination of anogenital warts. The drug is applied under the supervision of a doctor, 1 to 3 times before a specific coloring of the skin within two to three minutes in a white-gray color.

No more than 0.2 ml per day should be applied to a mass. Sometimes one session is enough for a flat wart, and three or four sessions for plantar warts, the interval between sessions – at least one day. After applying the drug, a band of swelling and hyperemia is observed around the circumference, limiting healthy tissue from damaged tissue. This should not be feared, the stripe soon disappears, about half an hour after the procedure. The drug is produced by the Central European Pharmaceutical Company, a Russian-made product.

Advantages and disadvantages

The surface heals after applying Mardil Zinc Max without any scars or deformations. The drug is not absorbed and has no general effect on the human body. Of course, in rare cases, the use of this product can lead to changes in skin pigmentation and even the appearance of superficial scars. But if done correctly, there is very little chance of this happening. On the other hand, until the scab falls off on its own, there may be tissue swelling at the application site, or skin itching. The drug is contraindicated for persons under 18 years of age, pregnant and lactating women, persons with hypersensitivity, as well as patients with cancerous neoplasms on the skin and mucous membranes. Also a special contraindication is a tendency to form keloid scars, in which case the patient may have a scar even after the correct application of the product.

Collomac

Rating: 4.8

The next drug to mummify and cauterize warts is Collomac. It is manufactured by the Egyptian company Oktober pharma, and it is sold for 260 to 460 rubles. per bottle, as much as 10 ml, i.e. 20 times more. Collomac also contains acids, namely lactic and salicylic. There is an additional component called polidocanol. Yes, these are very weak acids, but their synergism with respect to protein structures allows for a pronounced keratolytic effect. They are excellent for destroying keratinized cells, loosening the tissue and mummifying the papilloma. Polidocanol is also important: it causes sealing, or thrombosis, of the small blood vessels feeding the wart, which facilitates its destruction. The medication even has a slight pain relieving effect.

Collomac must be applied strictly to the wart. For this purpose, there is a special lipstick, or brush. In the aggregate, it is no more than 1 drop of the solution 2 times a day. Of course, there are also many warts, when the drug should be applied to large areas of the skin. But, in any case, no more than one milliliter of Colomac should be consumed in one session. It is best to apply it to any one wart, and when it is done, move on to the other. The drug can affect chronic rough calluses and plantar warts. Usually it is possible to cope with even the most unyielding formations after a week of treatment.

Advantages and disadvantages

As in the previous case, during treatment, there may be a red swollen area on the periphery of the wart, it is quite normal and there is no need to worry. The mechanism of wart falling off when using Colomac in all cauterizers is the same. The wart gradually dries out, turns dark brown, and the scab falls off on its own. It should not be removed forcibly under any pretext, as bleeding and recurrence are possible.

It is advisable for the patient not to prescribe this drug if he is allergic to salicylates, as well as if the patient is diagnosed with diabetes, and takes drugs from the group of sulfonylureas (Maninil, Glibenclamide). After applying the medicine, you need to wait a few minutes, up to half an hour, until the solution dries on its own. Apply the remedy only to those warts that were formed due to papillomavirus infection, that is, simple, juvenile, and so on. Collomac is not applied to birthmarks and nevi, as well as to various formations in the genital area and face.

Verrucacid

Rating: 4.8

Another inexpensive domestic variation for the destruction of warts – Verrukatsid. Produces it domestic pharmaceutical company Retinoids, the volume of one vial 2 ml, and its average cost – from 220 to 260 rubles. Verrukatsid contains methacresol and phenol from the group of aromatic alcohols. Together these two highly active chemicals exhibit synergism, and not only cauterize the skin and coagulate the small vessels of warts, but at the expense of phenol exhibit an antiseptic effect. By the way, an aqueous solution of phenol, or carbolic acid, was the very “carbolic,” which began the triumphal march of various antiseptics in medicine thanks to the great Joseph Lister.

Verrukacid is used for all the types of papillomas described above, as well as if the patient has keratomas and dry calluses. Verrukatsid is also prescribed for the treatment of acute condyloma.

The package contains a thin stick, which is used to apply the product to small formations, if their cross-section is 2 mm or less. If the wart is significantly larger, it requires multiple treatment sessions, usually three or four repetitions. Be sure to apply the next layer after the previous one is completely dry, so that at least 3 minutes have passed.

To remove an ordinary, medium-sized wart, you need to apply the drug 6-9 times, each time after 3 minutes. Doctors advise to lubricate the surrounding healthy tissue, or petroleum jelly or zinc paste, so that the drug does not get on healthy skin. If the patient is diagnosed with condylomatosis, this procedure requires the direct involvement of a dermatovenerologist or urologist, who will carry out the reduction of condylomas. Their elimination also passes through the formation of a dark brown scab. In case the wart has not completely fallen off, the treatment can be repeated up to 5 times.

Advantages and disadvantages

The drug is so cheap because, according to doctors’ reviews, it can act quite crudely, and yet unspecifically. Its disadvantage is the need to apply repeated treatment for up to 5 courses, repeated multiple application, which simply tires a person, with the need to apply the drug to the wart 10 times and after each time to wait for 3 minutes until it dries. Verrucacid is suitable for phlegmatic and leisurely patients, because it takes about a month to fully treat one wart. However, at the same time Verrukatsid is widely available in the pharmacy network, still does its job and is inexpensive. It should not be used in the presence of warts on the mucous membranes, on the lips, and in a child under the age of seven. It should not be applied to the skin in a total area greater than 20 square centimeters. In this case, the Verrukatsid can already be absorbed, and get into the blood, having a systemic effect.

Solcoderm

Rating: 4.8

Solcoderm is a high-quality Swiss product that comes in a single ampoule, with a small volume of 0.2 ml. And for this small amount you have to pay from 1,060 to 1,600 rubles. What does this medicine contain?? Two organic acids: oxalic and lactic, and a mixture of strong nitric and acetic acids, with copper nitrate added. In other words, one ampoule contains no more than 4 drops of the drug, and it is produced in such a small amount due to the need to maintain safety. These acids can cause serious harm to health, if they get into the eyes, mouth, or just spoil things.

Solcoderm is extremely active, mummifying the affected tissue and drying it out very quickly. Unlike the first drug, properly treated skin becomes not grayish, but yellowish, which is due to the presence of nitric acid. If the wart has turned yellow, it only needs to lose water, mummify, and turn into a dark brown standard scab, which should fall off by itself.

Solcoderm is used in the presence of all types of benign warts. With the mandatory histological confirmation of benignity small varieties of nevi can also be removed, condylomas can be treated. It is desirable to treat under medical supervision, because even these four drops, applied incorrectly, can cause deep burns of healthy tissue layers, so it is advisable to pre-treat the skin with ether or ethyl alcohol. If the warts have a thick stratum corneum, it is desirable to remove it, by application of salicylic acid, and then mechanically after steaming. If you need to accelerate mummification, you can apply 70% ethyl alcohol to the wart after Solcoderm drying, with a frequency of up to 3 times a day.

Advantages and disadvantages

Yes, Solcoderm acts very quickly, it is a highly effective product and, unlike Verrukatsid, you should not apply it 10 times in a row, the volume of the ampoule will not allow it. Rarely any side effects include a brief burning sensation. The disadvantages of Solcoderm will be the need to involve a health care professional, the desirable use of ethyl alcohol, and the small ampoule volume at an expensive price.

As a result, the cost of removing just one wart can be up to fifteen hundred rubles, and it may be much easier to use a cosmetic clinic and laser photocoagulation. On the other hand, if a patient has only one wart and can afford to buy such an expensive ampoule, it is his choice. Still, a smart person understands that acetic and hydrochloric acids are transported by rail in multi-ton tanks, and the cost of such a small amount of the drug is actually tens, if not hundreds of times lower, even taking into account the high chemical purity of the components.

Lapis pencil

Rating: 4.7

Lyapis pencil is a miniature, in solid form, silver nitrate, of course, in small quantities, added to the plastic base. It cauterizes, and is mostly used by jewelers in various pawn shops, as it allows you to distinguish a fake from a gold piece. Even in a low concentration the silver has a pronounced bactericidal and anti-inflammatory effect. And if there is more silver nitrate, as in the lapis pencil, it will have a necrotizing and mummifying effect. For example, it is convenient to treat small warts on the feet and hands with a lapis pencil. In addition to its drying effect, the bactericidal effect prevents new generations of the human papillomavirus from re-generating in warts.

To use the lapis pencil, you need to lightly moisten the end of it with room temperature water, and lightly rub the wart, no more than twice a day. Although the lapis pencil is an over-the-counter medicine, but it also comes with official instructions, and you can use them to determine the duration of treatment. Lapis pencil is produced by Russian pharmaceutical companies, and the cost of one pencil does not exceed 150 rubles.

Advantages and disadvantages

The lapis pencil is an inexpensive first-line remedy that can remove common vulgar warts as soon as they appear, and it will be a very effective remedy. Perhaps only hypersensitivity to silver prevents its use. Contraindication will be the presence of warts near mucous membranes, the red border of the lips, and the eye area. In addition, under no circumstances should you dab a lapis pencil on healthy skin, because this can cause chemical burns, even if not as severe as the application of Collomac.

If condylomas?

Despite the abundance of desiccating and mummifying drugs, all of which can be used for acute condyloma, a special line is also produced, positioned specifically for the treatment of condylomas. For the reduction of other warts these drugs are not used. Consider two such popular remedies: Condylin, produced by the Japanese company Yamanouchi and Aldara, produced in the UK.

Condylin

Rating: 4.9

As the name of this drug implies, it is designed to treat acute condyloma. Condylin contains podophyllotoxin, which has not only a cauterizing and mummifying effect, as in past cases, but also the so-called antimitotic. In illiterately written articles on the Internet sometimes write “antimycotic”, that is, antifungal, but fungus has absolutely nothing to do. Antimitotic – means “preventing mitosis,” that is, cell division and multiplication. That is why Condylin costs considerably more than its predecessors, because in addition to chemical destruction, it “forbids” the division of the remaining living cells, and prevents relapses.

Condylin is specifically designed to treat only acute condylomas, and should not be applied to warts, it is unlikely to lead to any desired effect. Special applicators, which are attached to the package, is a plastic ring on a long handle. It should be dipped into the solution and then put on the condyloma, thus coating it on all sides.

Condylin should be applied for 3 days, morning and evening, 12 hours apart. Then take a break of 4 days, and then continue applying again. The course of treatment should not exceed 1 month. The cost of a package of Condylin in 3.5 ml with 0.5% active ingredient is, on average, 3,000 rubles.

Advantages and disadvantages

Condylin is a powerful modern remedy that lasts for a long time. But it is advisable to apply it precisely on condylomas, as the drug is quite allergic. Side effects include itching, burning, small ulcers, inflammatory signs, swelling, redness, and soreness. Therefore, it is advisable to treat under the supervision of a doctor. Before you start applying the drug, you should spread zinc ointment, or petroleum jelly on the surrounding healthy tissue (for example, on the glans of the penis).

Imihimod (Aldara, Vartocid, Keravort)

Rating: 4.8

Perhaps in this review it is one of the most expensive drugs. This cream is in individual sachets, in one package – 12 such sachets. Aldara is manufactured in the United Kingdom by Meda, and will cost an average of 6500 rubles. for the packaging. There is a Russian counterpart Vartocid, the company Cytomed, which can be purchased at a price of 1600 rubles. for the same package.

This medication differs significantly from the other medications we reviewed. Aldara does not contain acids, drying and mummifying components. The drug is an inducer of interferon synthesis from the group of immunomodulators. According to the manufacturer, the product does not directly destroy viruses, like Acyclovir or Zovirax. Aldara induces the synthesis of endogenous alpha-interferon, as well as other cytokines.

Aldara is prescribed in the complex treatment of acute condyloma of the external genitalia, and in the perianal area. The cream should be applied with a thin layer on clean condylomas and rubbed in until completely absorbed, taking care not to apply it to healthy surface. Apply the medication three times a week, leaving it on the skin overnight, without taking water procedures, and without applying dressings. The next day, it is advisable to wash the medication with soap and water. Continue treatment until condylomas disappear, but no longer than two months. One sachet of the cream is enough for an area not exceeding 20 square centimeters.

Advantages and disadvantages

As the manufacturer points out, side effects can include itching at the application site, erythema, rash, headache and nausea, even fever and muscle pain. Few people know that Aldara, or imiquimod, is the most widely used drug to cause experimental psoriasis in experimental animals, such as mice. Since in psoriasis there are certain “immune kinks in the skin”, the Aldara cream causes a “cytokine storm” in the skin, locally, according to the “wedge is knocked out with a wedge” principle.

It does have a proven efficacy and has been extensively researched around the world. And after using it, even if all condylomas are not completely gone, the viral load of papillomaviruses in them will be much lower. Therefore, the drug can be recommended for use, but under medical supervision, due to the large number of frequent side effects. The drug is contraindicated in hypersensitivity, as well as under 18 years of age, lactating and pregnant women. Against the background of the cream there is an increased risk of sunburn, so you need to be protected from the sun’s rays.

Saponification, or the use of alkalis to treat warts

We mentioned above that in addition to coagulating and mummifying agents, you can also use saponifying alkali to treat warts, which cause a more friable, not coagulation, but colliquation necrosis. This is true, only we are no longer talking about warts caused by the papillomavirus, but about a special form of them, which is also caused by viruses, but only from the smallpox group. This is the so-called contagious molluscum.

In fact, this infection has nothing to do with mollusks: toothless mollusks, mussels, other snails and shells. It is simply called. Most often, molluscum contagiosum occurs in childhood, and you can get infected or by direct contact or through objects. But it can also occur in adulthood and in the elderly, especially with low immunity, e.g. administration of corticosteroid hormones, prolonged and high doses.

More often than not:

1. Rashes are localized on the thighs, buttocks, or mucosa of the external genitalia;

2. These are nodules protruding above the surface of the skin that are the same color as the surrounding skin, or a little more pink;

3. They are absolutely painless formations, resembling a balloon half protruding above the skin;

4. There is an umbilical depression in the center;

5. The formations can range in size from 1 mm to 1 cm.

These warts appear a month to a month and a half after infection, occasionally they may be accompanied by itching. Curiously, at the beginning these spherical formations are dense, but gradually, over time, they soften. And if you press on such a softened wart, it comes out a cottage cheese plug, “stuffed” with infectious viruses. After 6 months, these rashes usually disappear on their own, and treatment is sometimes not required.

The pathogen of molluscum contagiosum is completely insensitive to alcoholic antiseptics, so there is no point in drying these formations. That is why the resistant to drying virus is well destroyed by the opposite chemical substances, namely alkalis. Molluscum contagiosum does not circulate in the human body and can only infect the skin, and when the last mass alone, or under the influence of treatment, dies out, it will leave the body. Immunity is not stable, but after some time it disappears and re-infection is possible. Here is an example of a medication for the treatment of viral molluscum contagiosum based on an alkaline solution.

Stopmollusc

Rating: 4.9

Stopmollusk is pure, five percent potassium hydroxide (KOH). By and large, it resembles in its chemical action the composition for elimination of soot from glass ceramic stoves. It is necessary to apply it only directly to the surface of the affected skin, treating it with the applicator. After applying Stopmollusk it is necessary to wait until the solution has dried.

Treat the skin 2 times a day in the morning and evening, until the skin on the treated areas turns red. It usually takes 2 to 10 days. When there is redness, namely, the same colliform necrosis, it is necessary to stop applying the drug. In 3-4 weeks such a wart will disappear.

Advantages and disadvantages

The drug is not used in children under two years of age, if there is a rash on the mucous membranes or near the eyes, as well as if the tissues are affected by secondary inflammation and there is suppuration. Avoid getting the solution on healthy skin. The product is contraindicated in patients with atopic eczema, and with a pronounced immunodeficiency. The drug is manufactured by the domestic company IntelBio, and for 5 ml of solution you will pay from 480 to 760 rubles, which is very expensive for a large-capacity product of the chemical industry. Potassium hydroxide is transported by rail by hundreds of tons in conventional 60-ton chemical tanks. For example, you can buy 1 kg of solid, pure KON for analysis for 212 rubles/kg.

Cryodestruction, or freezing of papillomas

The use of cauterizers, of course, is not completely safe. There is a completely different way to eliminate warts – with the help of low temperatures. Usually liquid nitrogen is used for this. No training is required, you can do everything yourself, even at home, there is no special technique or skill for this. Freezing warts is immediately painless, and if sensitivity is not completely lost, at most, there will only be a sensation of mild discomfort.

The cold quickly coagulates vessels, the blood flow stops. Therefore, there is no bleeding during removal methods such as cryodestruction. If liquid nitrogen is used correctly, cryosurgery does not cause the development of scar tissue.

What modern means are sold in pharmacies for the removal of warts with cold? This choice is not much. In today’s domestic market, there are probably two Western drugs: Cryopharma and Wartner Cryo.

Since the preparations are very similar, there is no point in describing them separately. The only difference is that Wartner Cryo has a 15 ml larger bottle, has a different name and is made in Ireland. Their price is about the same: from 700 to 1200 rubles for the fall of 2020.

Crypharma and Wartner Cryo

Rating: 4.9

Cryopharma is a 35 ml bottle of nitrogen, manufactured by Pharma Spray, from the Netherlands. This product can remove small to medium sized warts, including stale and plantar warts. The active substance is liquid nitrogen, ejected from the cylinder under pressure at a temperature of minus 196 degrees. Special applicators (12 pieces) are attached to the cylinder, which must be put on the cylinder and then placed firmly on the wart. After that, you need to press the spray can. A sign of proper application is a slight burning, and the complete whitening of the wart after exposure to nitrogen.

Usually the duration of cooling depends on the size of the wart. In the case of small papillomas – it is 10 seconds, in the case of plantar, closed by a thick layer of keratinized epidermis, the time of applying nitrogen can be up to 40 seconds. Once is most often enough. If the wart is old, or has a too keratinized, thick surface, you may need two, or even three sessions of cryotherapy. In the event that after 3 sessions the wart was not removed, it is necessary to consult a specialist. The average cost of one balloon is 950 rubles.

Advantages and disadvantages

The general advantages of cryodestruction were described in the introduction. The preparations are really very convenient, the applicators (Wartner Cryo is also available with applicators) allow you to completely close the wart, and does not cause nitrogen leakage in the periphery. However, it is not always possible to remove a wart correctly. In some cases, it is not possible to treat its hard-to-reach localization, such as a wart on the back of the armpit. A large wart must be removed in several steps, and one bottle is enough for only 12 warts, and that’s assuming that they are not large. It is also quite difficult to control the depth of penetration: if the cold affects the tissue deeper than necessary, the development of scar tissue and keloid tissue is possible.

Sometimes within a few days after cryodestruction you can feel slight soreness, burning and hyperemia. Unlike a scab, cold freezing will require the patient to heal for a longer period of time, which can even last up to a month. Finally, cryodestruction is a “not quite accurate” treatment, and can be compared to shooting at areas. If the application of the same Solcoderm can be performed very accurately, then spraying under pressure liquid nitrogen with such precision will never work, and the cooling area will be much larger than the wart itself. That is why healthy areas are almost always affected during cryoablation.

Keratolytics: softening of keratinous lesions

Keratolytics are often necessary as a preparatory step in both cryosurgery and in the choice of acids and alkalis. If the wart is covered with a large and thick layer of hard horny mass, it does not lend itself well to and etching substances, and may not freeze immediately. Therefore, before giving cryodestruction or chemical necrosis, such “stubborn” papilloma must be cleaned of horny layers. Most warts are thick, plantar warts, but there can be other types of warts, too, covered with a thick horny layer. This is what keratolytics are used for, facilitating basic treatment.

Urea (Uroderm)

Rating: 4.9

Uroderm is a highly effective drug that contains a fairly strong, 30% compound of regular urea, or urea. For a small tube of such an ointment weighing 10 grams you will pay from 130 to 250 rubles. It’s relatively cheap for a drug, but for urea, which is freely available in its pure form in gardening stores, it’s quite expensive.

So, chemically pure urea will cost 300 rubles. per 1 kg. From this amount a pharmaceutical company can make a lot of ointment, adding 2.3 kg of ointment base at 110 rubles / kg. Total of 3.3 kg of ointment costing 553 rubles, you can pack 330 tubes of 10 grams. At an average price of 150 rubles per tube, the profit will be almost 49 thousand rubles. Naturally, there are costs for packaging, wages, machine maintenance and electricity, but still, it was quite possible to make Uroderm three times cheaper.

At the same time, Uroderm is an effective keratolytic, moisturizes and softens the skin, makes it supple. To remove the stratum corneum, and then well remove the wart itself, you need to apply ointment to this formation, then seal it with a plaster overnight, and in the morning the softened part of the wart can simply be cut off, or removed with any abrasive object, such as a file or pumice stone. Uroderm can also be used in the treatment of ichthyosis, psoriasis, and any form of general or local keratinization.

Advantages and disadvantages

Uroderm can cause itching and redness of the skin, but only if there is an acute illness. Regarding warts, there may be a focus of redness around it, or an inflammatory reaction. Therefore, if it is decided to apply Uroderm to such a wart, which has not succumbed to destruction after several sessions of application of any other drug, such a “cracked wart” may give a burning and unpleasant sensations.

Vartox

Rating: 4.8

Vartox is a creamy paste, a medium between liquid and thick consistency. It can cope with small warts, and does not require aggressive chemical methods or cryosurgery. Urea, or urea, softens the skin, removes horny deposits, and glycyrrhizic acid, found in the licorice root, helps inhibit the human papilloma virus (unproven).

This paste is used in conjunction with steaming the wart in hot water, then it is treated with a pumice stone, or scraper. After the wart has become soft, you should take a cotton pad, put the cream paste on it, and put it on the softened and steamed wart. After that, the site should be sealed with a plaster, and water should be avoided. Time of action – one day. After that, the remnants of the paste are washed off, and everything is repeated. Usually after a few sessions, but no more than five, the wart disappears. Application of Vartox cream paste can be alternated with application of a special keratolytic patch. Tube of domestic production with 20 g costs 270 rubles, and produces it Zelenaya Dubrava JSC.

Advantages and disadvantages

The advantage of Vartox paste is its cheapness and availability, while the disadvantages are the long process of wart elimination, the need not to wet the hand, and in the dry. And if the wart on the body, it is necessary during the treatment not to wet the desired place, which is not always possible. The disadvantage is additionally the need to treat the wart with a scraper, or pumice stone. If it is not steamed enough, it can cause bleeding or even infection. Therefore, it is desirable to be especially careful when first applying it, do not rush, and use an antiseptic before using the scraper: hydrogen peroxide, a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

Salipod mozole patch

Rating: 4.7

If you ask for a patch for plantar warts in the pharmacy, you will be offered Salipod. These are products of the domestic company Veropharm, widely available in pharmacies. So, the patch (6 cm*10 cm) costs, on average, only 85 rubles. It contains a keratolytic, salicylic acid, which intensely softens the keratinous surface, preventing the growth of fungi and microorganisms. Additional components – drying sulfur, which prevents the occurrence of blisters. Salipod also contains rosin, lanolin and organic rubber. They soften the skin, disinfect and stimulate the formation of new tissue. Rubber provides elasticity and adhesion of the patch to the skin, performing a “technical function”.

The scheme of application of Salipod with plantar warts and various types of corns is exactly the same as in the application of cream-paste Vartox. First you need to steep the callus or wart, gently treat it, and then fix a band-aid on the desired area for 24 hours. After that the site is treated again, and everything is repeated until the effect.

Advantages and disadvantages

If you combine the use of Salipod with a subsequent application of a drug like Solcoderm, you can achieve both the removal of the wart and lower consumption of expensive Solcoderm, due to the fact that the wart will be prepped. Therefore, despite the fact that Solcoderm is a means for “one time”, the use of Salipod will allow you to remove not one but two or even three warts with Solcoderm. It will save, perhaps, 1000 rubles, or even more.

Salicylic Acid

Rating: 4.7

Salicylic acid can be used to soften warts beforehand. But its concentration should not be less than 10%. You can find weak concentrations of acid in pharmacies that are no more than 1 or 2%, that’s not enough. But if you manage to find at least 10% “salicylic acid”, you can apply it to the wart once a day, and treat the area before application in the same way as in the case of Salipod and Vartox cream-paste. This method is suitable for small warts, because salicylic acid should be applied to very small areas. It is probably the cheapest of all remedies. After all, you can buy a bottle of salicylic acid for a sum not exceeding 60 rubles, and it lasts for a long time.

Advantages and disadvantages

The advantage of salicylic acid can be called simplicity and cheapness, but, nevertheless, you should not save on your health. To soften and reduce small warts, it is still better to use special preparations, such as paste Vartox, or Salipod. There are also specific contraindications. Thus, salicylic acid is prohibited in cases of severe chronic skin diseases, psoriasis, severe diabetes and when there is a suspicion of a malignant growth of a wart. This is a general contraindication to the use of all means, here you need to consult an oncologist.

Gardasil and Cervarix: there is a way out!

We talked about how to remove warts, how to conduct molecular genetic testing, how to determine the risk of oncogenicity. Is it possible to be vaccinated beforehand, before a person has started sexual life and has not caught human papilloma virus, and to protect oneself from the increased risk of malignant neoplasms of this type for a certain period of time?? It turns out that you can!

There are two drugs, Cervarix and Gardasil, which are almost identical polyvalent (tetravalent, or quadrivalent) recombinant vaccines. For example, Gardasil, which is produced by Merck Sharp and Dom and manufactured in the Netherlands, reliably protects against the four most potentially oncogenic genotypes of the papillomavirus. There are 18, 16, 11 and 6 types.

HPV vaccine is a method of prevention (not of treatment)!) Human papillomavirus. By vaccination it is possible to avoid contracting the most dangerous (high-risk) types of this virus. Particularly important for women for whom HPV is a factor in the development of cervical cancer. It is thought that 70% of all cervical cancers are caused by HPV type 16 and 18, so we included these in the vaccine. It was mentioned above that the human papillomavirus can be transmitted in different ways, in particular, sexually. So by getting the vaccine before sexual intercourse, a woman will get reliable protection against the virus.

In addition, HPV causes cancer of the external genitalia and anal canal in men and women, significantly increases the risk of developing head and neck cancer, especially oropharyngeal cancer (the same oropharyngeal carcinoma), leads to the development of anogenital condyloma and causes recurrent respiratory papillomatosis in both children and adults.

Gardasil is a vaccine designed to develop immunity to several types of HPV, especially types 16 and 18. The vaccine also creates immunity against virus types 6 and 11, which cause genital and anus genital condylomas (genital warts).

If these types of HPV are already present in the body, Gardasil is not vaccinated. If any of these types of HPV is absent, Gardasil will help to develop immunity which lasts more than 5 years. Maximum immunity to HPV is formed at the age of 10-14 years old, which is why gynecologists recommend vaccinating girls at this age. It is possible to be vaccinated even later, up to the age of 26 (studies for the older age group are not yet finished).

In order to fully protect the body, you must get the vaccine the first time and then revaccinated twice, which means three shots in total. The second shot will be given a month later, and the third shot six months after the second.

The preparation is available as a suspension for intramuscular injection in a very small amount, only 0.5 ml. The drug contains immunogenic proteins of human papillomavirus, namely the L1 protein, which is different for each genotype. So, 20 micrograms of protein is enough for genotype 18, and 40 micrograms for genotype 16.

The effectiveness of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is mediated by the formation of protective immunity with the development of a humoral and cellular immune response against HPV. Without vaccination, sexually active people have a lifetime risk of HPV infection of over 50% – and it is constantly growing. Vaccination leads to prevention of diseases caused by HPV.

How much protection do people get from the vaccine after being vaccinated three times?? It is highly effective: Pre-cancerous lesions and cervical dysplasia occur 90% less frequently in vaccinated women than in non-vaccinated women. As a result, vaccinated women have a 10-fold lower risk of cervical cancer than unvaccinated women.

This vaccine is administered intramuscularly, into the deltoid muscle of the shoulder, or into the middle third of the thigh. In some cases the vaccine may be given according to an accelerated schedule, with a second dose given after a month and a third dose given three months after the vaccination, instead of six. The main thing to remember is that this vaccine is not intended to treat cervical cancer, or other cases, but is only used for prevention. Naturally, no vaccine can guarantee a hundred percent immune defense response, nor can it protect against other diseases. Still, it’s a big leap forward.

Conclusion

We have listed a sufficient number of modern topical medications for the elimination of manifestations of papillomavirus infection: to remove warts. In conclusion, it is advisable to adhere to a healthy lifestyle, to keep your immune system in a state of natural, intense protection without causing its deficiency and excess, which is harmful both one way and the other.

With immunodeficiency, opportunistic microorganisms, protozoa and fungi “pounce” on the person, as in the AIDS stage. If there is an excess of immunity, it pounces on its own organs, tissues and cells, forming either autoimmune pathology or, more recently, the infamous “cytokine storm” in coronavirus infection.

Also it is necessary to follow the rules of personal hygiene. When going to the fitness club, swimming pool or sauna you should use own towels and rubber slippers, wash hands when coming home, treat any small scratches on the skin with antiseptic in time in order not to “catch” a Papillomavirus infection or contagious mollusc. It is necessary to have a reliable, proven sexual partner, and if you do not have one, you should definitely use contraception. You also need to avoid stress, and have a proper daily routine, with enough sleep. Keeping your health and immune system in order also helps to avoid bad habits.